heidikat72

Talk to your NUT.
Talk to a therapist or counselor.
Find a good bariatric support group and/or 12-step recovery group like OA (OA.org).
Read books about eating disorders and compulsive eating.
Track, weigh, and measure your food.
Eat mindfully.
Journal.
The point is that there isn't one tip or trick that will help you to not compulsively eat. It is a complex issue that many of us have spent years addressing.
The first step is admitting that you have a problem. Now, use every resource available to you.
Definitely make an appointment with your NUT to talk about what is required by your insurance company.
Best of luck.

5 gallon buckets and lye works better.....leaves no trace. And that comes directly from a police investigator!
BTW, I have three cats and a good supply of batteries. Couldn't be happier.

So, here's the plan:
I have a flashlight and a shovel...

Things I've noticed 4 weeks after surgery:
1. As my body shrinks, I kinda have a butt now.
2. I'm slowly able to put clothes which are too big in a bag to donate.
3. I make time to get 10,000 steps per day.
4. Finally considering a personal trainer.
5. I sleep better than before.
6. My shoes fit better than before.
7. My face is slimmer.
8. I smile a lot more.
9. I am more conscious about how I look when I leave the house.
10. I have no regrets about the sleeve. Best medical decision I have ever elected to do in my life!!

I was sleeved over 18 months ago. My husband didn't think I needed WLS. In fact, he shared with me that my decision to have WLS diminished his respect for me, because he had always thought of me as an incredibly strong person and he felt that having WLS was me "giving up". A lot of his perspective was my own fault. I had lost and regained many times since we were together. Every time I regained, I always had some excuse: an injury, an illness, recovering from surgery, etc. The problem is, I always milked those excuses for far longer than necessary and I took full advantage of them. Meanwhile, he bought into them. So where I *knew* that my regain was 99% to do with my own failures, he thought it was 99% legit.
Also, I was a secret binge eater and I went out of my way to hide a lot of my eating from him. I would eat big fast food lunches, then bring the evidence back to work with me to throw in the trash. Or I would take trash straight out to the bin in the garage instead of putting it in the kitchen garbage where he might see it.
So I did a really good job of tricking him into thinking I had a better handle on my eating and my weight than I really did. Which meant he didn't see how much I truly struggled with it, both mentally and physically.
By the time I had my VSG, I knew myself well enough to know that it was the right decision. But it has taken me losing all my excess weight and maintaining it for 6+ months for my husband to catch on.
We had a great talk at dinner on Saturday night. I had completed my 8 mile run for my half marathon training and was rewarding myself with a date night of dinner and a movie. While I was on the treadmill, doing my run, I had watched a couple more episodes of My 600 Pound Life. I was discussing the episodes with my husband and we got into the talk we always get into when discussing that show... how do people let it get that bad. We talked about how spouses and parents are "enablers" and how Dr. Nowzaradan always berates them for that, but in real life, what choice do they really have? It's easy to be on the outside looking in and say "well he should just stop buying sweets for her" or "well she should stop cooking him two dinners a night" or whatever. But when you are inside that reality, caring for someone you love and wanting to keep them happy, it's easy to see how they end up in those roles. My husband confessed that had I continued on that trajectory, he doesn't think he would have had the strength to try to intervene. Plus he might not have even realized how bad it had gotten until it was much too late. As it is, he says he looks at pictures of me now at my highest weight and he can't believe it. He doesn't ever remember seeing me that big. He sees those pictures and thinks "how did I ever let her get that big?" And since he never consciously registered how big I was and how much damage I was doing to my health, he can't truly say that he wouldn't have let it keep getting worse without realizing it.
He then went on to say that he'd like to think *I* would never have let it get that out of control. And my response was, "I'd like to think I'd never let it get as far as it did, but I did!" I told him I probably would have made many more valiant attempts to lose weight. I probably would have gone through many more cycles of losing and regaining. But eventually the cycle was going to have to break in one direction or the other. Either I was going to lose the weight for good and keep it off or I was going to keep packing on the pounds and give up on losing. Without surgery, the latter was the FAR more likely scenario. Eventually I really would have had a chronic excuse, like a bad knee or back or hip and I would give up entirely.
We came away from the dinner with me finally feeling like he understood why I'd had the surgery. Why it really was the best decision for our future. And even though it took him a while this time, once again he understands that I am always right.

Stick with us, kid. You've got all of us to support you.
Here's the cold, hard truth. Is there a chance you could die having the surgery? Absolutely, albeit small. Is there a chance you could die without the surgery? Absolutely, and a much higher one at that.
You do what's in your heart. If you know this surgery is right for you (minus a few fears that each and every one of us has experienced), then go for it. I know sometimes it's hard to move forward with something when your'e not getting the support from family, but the bravest people forge ahead anyway knowing it's what they want or need to do.
Look at all of our profile pictures. Do we look tired and sickly? Most of us are happy and thriving, and you will be too.
Be brave. I know you got it in you. Find support elsewhere. This is your chance to shine, damn it!

You are far, far from alone.
You've found a great place to hang out and bounce thoughts and ideas around with folks that have been where you are.
It absolutely sucks to not have family support. That is something that is beyond your span of control.
Right now it's time to rally and focus. Don't worry about things that you have no direct control over. Simply take care of the details that you can.....such as getting all your ducks in a row leading up to surgery.....following your eating plan and getting your mind wrapped firmly about the changes that you're making to claim your health.
Any type of surgery has risks. I've heard the spiel each time I went under for repairs to my knees, ankle, hernia repairs and etc. Each time I woke up feeling relieved that it was over and all that was left was to heal and recover. I'm a special kind of stupid, though, in that I'm always tearing something up in some misadventure or another. Oh well......having fun has it's risks, too.
Nothing is as risky as living at the weight I was last year, though. The Grim Reaper's shadow was creeping over me. Stroke, heart attack or worse was a real threat.
Now......nothing could be further from my mind. The sleeve was a gift. The benefits it has delivered have been rolling in ever since. It starts with small things....scale moving in a great direction, clothes getting loose, aches and pains subsiding.......then it leads to other events.......having blood pressure go into normal range, after falling into "low" range briefly....lol at those low bp feels....never before had I experienced it. I was at Best Buy reaching down to get a CD from the lower shelf and I almost.....almost blacked out. It took a huge effort to get upright and breathing. Turns out my bp meds and the 3 week post-sleeve weight loss had joined forces bigtime. Funny stuff.
I will wager this for you...........Those unsupportive folks will change their tune once they see your resolve. They will see that you aren't waiting around for a miracle, but taking steps and applying your effort and focus to make this happen. They can't help but be impressed by your dedication and work. It takes dedication and effort on your part of the sleeve to work. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. The stuff about being able to eat anything the first year and still lose lots of weight is bullcrap. It may apply to some.....but not to everyone. Eating the right foods is the crucial part for me. Sugars and starches will cause my losing to stop and weight gain to occur. I know this because I've had it happen last month.
No.....losing weight takes effort on your part.....with or without wls. Once your family sees you putting forth this effort every single day.....and your weight coming off......they will most likely come around to supporting you. Don't hold your breath, though......just do your thing. Get healthy and reap the benefits of getting there. You'll find your stride and never look back.
I have nothing but respect for you making this change. You are young and have a great life waiting for you. Don't sweat the pre-op diet and post-op first weeks......simply stick with the plan and work through it. It's a brief phase and you'll get on to losing very quickly if you stick with it. Go buy a full length mirror and get ready to see the progress....take lots of pictures along the way so you'll never forget what happens if you don't stay with the plan......and then look back and see how far you came and how good you feel.
You've got this.
Your new life is waiting......

I would just like to say that in addition to your physical transformation being wonderful, it is really your emotional transformation that I find so inspiring! I can especially relate to the "I didn't hate myself because I was obese, I was obese because I hated myself" idea. Learning to love ourselves takes work and in many ways is the scariest/hardest part of this journey for me.

I'm going to tell people I was abducted by aliens, and had tests performed on me. Just for fun.

The weights are coming from 3 different scales. scales that aren't being calibrated on a regular basis nor are they getting daily accuracy checks (sorry, I'm a quality control chemist!) so it is very likely that the majority of the difference is just the difference between the scales. for your personal monitoring purposes - track using the same scale, weighing at the same time of day etc...

Super fantastic! I'm doing a happy dance for you!

The weights are coming from 3 different scales. scales that aren't being calibrated on a regular basis nor are they getting daily accuracy checks (sorry, I'm a quality control chemist!) so it is very likely that the majority of the difference is just the difference between the scales. for your personal monitoring purposes - track using the same scale, weighing at the same time of day etc...

I just got home after a 12 day road trip. This included an 8 day Florida vacation with friends and family followed directly by a 4 day California business trip. I ended up eating meals out several times a day and consumed alcohol on several occasions.
This morning when weighing in, I am at exactly the same weight I was when I left.
One could consider this a failure - I didn't lose an ounce in 12 days.
Or, one could consider it a success - because of the limitations of the sleeve I was able to travel for 12 days and not gain anything.
I'm choosing to look at it from the positive perspective. If I had not been sleeved I am certain this trip would have added 3 or 4 pounds that I would have to work on taking back off. Because of the sleeve, even though I was traveling I was conscious of my meal selections and able to enjoy myself without coming home to a big gain to worry about.
No it's time to get back on track with good meal choices and exercise to kick the weight loss back into gear!

So this person followed me on Instagram. I found it quite funny, thought people in this forum would appreciate it.

Welcome to the journey! Sounds like a very similar pre-op plan as mine - although my insurance requires 6 months of it. You will start to lose some weight and feel so much better even during this time. Yes, there are days where it is tough because my head tells me that I really want Pasta. But then I think about how much my knees and back hurt just a couple months ago and I remember I want my health way more than I want a bowl of pasta. Use this time to start establishing good habits. Several of the Protein Powder brands offer sample packs - try ordering some of those so you can figure out what you like (or more importantly what you don't like!) before ordering a big tub. I know Unjury offers a starter kit on their website and Syntrax Nectar brand offers bags of mixed samples.< /p>

Welcome to the journey! Sounds like a very similar pre-op plan as mine - although my insurance requires 6 months of it. You will start to lose some weight and feel so much better even during this time. Yes, there are days where it is tough because my head tells me that I really want Pasta. But then I think about how much my knees and back hurt just a couple months ago and I remember I want my health way more than I want a bowl of pasta. Use this time to start establishing good habits. Several of the Protein Powder brands offer sample packs - try ordering some of those so you can figure out what you like (or more importantly what you don't like!) before ordering a big tub. I know Unjury offers a starter kit on their website and Syntrax Nectar brand offers bags of mixed samples.< /p>

Love that you are taking such a proactive role in preparing for his recovery and are being so supportive through this process. Not all of us have that. Make sure he knows how lucky he is!

Oh and my only "follow-up" appointment with him was just to have him go over the actual results of the test - he didn't conduct the test, a technician did. I even asked if I needed to see him after surgery or have the testing again later to monitoring the thickening they found. He said only if I wanted to in maybe a year or so. Since the thickening was so slight that losing the weight would probably reverse it but that if I had any problems or wanted to check on it later to let him know. He left it up to me. Didn't try to push for regular follow up appointments.

My ECG was fine, no heart issues but my cardiologist still did an echo and stress test. Said he does it before signing off on any bariatric surgery patients. Not so much because he might not sign off on surgery but to make sure the full risk level is understood. I got the echo and stress test done in the same appt., about 2 hours total. Wasn't a big deal. Turns out I have a slight thickening of the left ventricular artery which hasn't given me any problems and he cleared me surgery. Just like every surgeon's office has slightly different plans/requirements pre and post op, some cardiologists do more testing than others. I wouldn't read any more into it than he/she likes to have a full set of data.

Woah... damn Babbs, I didn't realize you were so hot. I guessI haven't creeped your profile yet.
brb... creeping.

Yesterday was the 2 month anniversary of my GSV surgery. I felt like sharing that I was at 58 pounds of weight loss yesterday, 59 pounds as of today! I had set a goal of reaching the 60 pound mark by 2 months, and for all intents and purposes, met my goal. Close enough, anyway! It is easy to stay focused and motivated when I see this kind of result. I have had my plateaus, which everyone knows how aggravating they are, but have managed great weight loss, with a lot of gym time and power walking!
Here's to the next 60!

check out the blog "The world according to eggface" - she's about 10 years post surgery and does a lot of posts where she shares a day's worth of meals. she has a lot of great "bento box" lunch ideas that would be easy to carry to work in an insulated bag.

Temporary state........I felt the same way initially. Now....unbelievable improvement.......
Up at 4:00am yesterday.
Worked a 14 hour day....walking a few miles on my job....hectic day....tech issues & staffing problems....fully engaged in troubleshooting and humping it the entire time.
Lifted weights on my lunch break.
Went to bed at 11:30pm.
Woke up at 4:00am today, voluntarily....on my only day off over a span of seven 13-14 hour workdays.
Felt ready to go into battle with ogres, orcs or dire wolves......ready to rock 'n roll shortly after stretching out my sore back.
No combat to be had, thusly, a proper Breakfast for the family was cooked.
Have a few projects to handle and then off to the gym for more weight training and 5 miles on the treadmill.
I'll get home and toss something on the grill for our dinner later on.
Today will be a glorious day off.....regardless the weather.....regardless of what comes up.
5 months ago.....pre-sleeve......I would have woken up and felt like one of the zombies from The Walking Dead.
Hang in there.....everything...and I mean EVERYTHING will get better. Sometimes we just have to get out of our own way.

sounds like she was just telling you all the things she tells herself to justify her not getting the surgery. classic projection. pay her no mind or as was previously said on this thread - just smile and say "bless your heart"

check out the blog "The world according to eggface" - she's about 10 years post surgery and does a lot of posts where she shares a day's worth of meals. she has a lot of great "bento box" lunch ideas that would be easy to carry to work in an insulated bag.